Why did the PGA Tour team up with LIV Golf?

Ending the golf divide is a key goal as the PGA Tour partners with the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) - owner of the LIV Golf League - after nearly two years of seeing each other as rivals.

On Golf Channel on June 8, Jimmy Dunnes - Vice President of the PGA Tour Policy Council - emphasized the purpose of implementing the shocking deal of modern golf. He said: "We want to end the hostility and division." Dunnes, 66 years old, is a highly reputable businessman, took the job at the PGA Tour since the end of last year.

Jimmy Dunne in a meeting with Phil Mickelson - when the American golfer had not yet left for the LIV Golf League. Photo: PGA Tour — Jimmy Dunne in a meeting with Phil Mickelson - when the American golfer had not yet left for the LIV Golf League. Photo: *PGA Tour*

The message of "unifying golf" was mentioned on June 6, right in the title of the text announcing that the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and PIF Saudi - the majority shareholder owning LIV Golf League will jointly own the legal entity, thereby combining the commercial activities of all three arenas. And when the PGA Tour accepted PIF Saudi as a partner, the two sides also ended the unfair competition lawsuit in the US court, which broke out in August 2022.

For more than a year prior, the PGA Tour and its ally the DP World Tour had used internal rules to block member players from accessing the LIV Golf League, with the intention of killing the PIF Saudi-sponsored arena.

But that didn’t happen. Instead, the world’s two biggest men’s golf tournaments teamed up with a Saudi-backed tournament system.

In the joint venture, Al-Rumayyan - Chairman of PIF Saudi holds the position of chairman of the board of directors, while Jay Monahan - special envoy of the PGA Tour - holds the position of CEO.

The negotiations have involved four sessions over the past seven weeks, in New York, London and Italy, and the only direct participants have been Al-Rumayyan, Monahan, PGA Tour policy committee chairman Ed Herlihy and deputy Dunne, and DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley.

"We reached an agreement as quickly and thoroughly as possible, because it is time for the golf world to unite," Dunne said.

Saudi Arabia has a poor record on human rights and gender equality, and had 15 of its citizens killed in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The families of the American victims are still grieving. Dunne is no exception.

More than 20 years ago, he worked in an office on the 104th floor of the South Tower of the World Trade Center. On the day of the disaster, 66 of Dunne’s colleagues, including his close friend, were killed in a plane crash by Islamic extremists believed to be linked to Saudi Arabia. He himself was unharmed, having missed work to compete in the U.S. Senior Amateur Golf Championship.

"The horror scene replayed itself every time I woke up, several times a day, every day. If I could find anyone involved now, I would kill them myself," Dunne said. Despite being haunted by the Saudi factor, Dunne took the initiative to take on the role of chief architect of the "peace bridge" because he wanted to do something good for golf. He started by connecting via WhatsApp. Through this multi-platform online communication application, Dunne contacted the head of PIF.

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